Chapter 50: Zaimokuza Yoshiteru
Chishima Akishin's final period of the day was with Class 2-J, continuing their Pinyin lessons. Class J truly lived up to its reputation as an elite class; within a week, they had already mastered Pinyin and could easily distinguish between the alphabet and the phonetic symbols.
"Today, we'll be learning the tones in Pinyin. There are four in total..."
"For example, with the sound 'a,' the first tone is flat—keep your tongue straight..."
"The second tone is indicated by a rising symbol, pronounced 'á'..."
"The third tone looks like a small 'v.' The sound has to dip and then rise, like a roller coaster going down then immediately back up..."
The atmosphere in class was strange today. The students kept staring at Akishin, as if trying to figure something out. Two particularly flashy girls were even glaring at him with a hint of resentment.
Yukinoshita Yukino's gaze had changed too; she seemed purely curious but remained focused on the lesson. Akishin's teaching method was worlds apart from the Mandarin courses she had taken at cram schools, yet it was far easier to grasp.
From time to time, Akishin would drop classical references, telling stories from China—mythology, fables, strange tales, even science fiction. Every day was a different story. He taught through storytelling, which kept the students hooked.
The students of Class J genuinely looked forward to his classes because they were so engaging. They even picked up several Chengyu (idioms), like Ba Miao Zhu Zhang (pulling up sprouts to help them grow) and Yu Bang Xiang Zheng (the struggle between the snipe and the clam).
Today, however, the usual cheer was missing. Akishin didn't tell a story, and the students didn't laugh or cause a ruckus. They just followed along in a stiff, heavy silence.
Akishin knew exactly why they were looking at him like that.
And so...
Heh. Staring at me with those angry eyes but still expecting a story? Don't count on it. Maybe next time. (Author: Terrible sense of humor. Akishin: Get lost!)
At 3:30 PM, the final bell rang. Akishin assigned some homework and dismissed Class 2-J.
Watching the students file out, Akishin tucked his textbook under his arm and headed out.
Returning to the office, he put his book away but didn't see Shizuka. He had no idea where she'd gone, which was a shame since he'd wanted to ask her to leave together.
After grabbing his sword bag from his locker, Akishin made his way toward the Service Club. He pulled out his phone to text Kondo Yuika and her friend, letting them know he'd be late and asking them to meet him at the shop at 5:00 PM instead.
After a day of heavy downpours, the evening had finally brought a golden twilight.
The air felt crisp and fresh.
When he reached the floor where the Service Club was located, he happened to bump into Hikigaya Hachiman. Hachiman jumped in surprise.
"Chishima-sensei? Why are you here?" Hachiman asked, though his tone sounded more like an interrogation.
"Coming to have a heart-to-heart with you. Big drama happened; Hiratsuka-sensei nearly decked me."
"Really? Good. Nice to know Chishima-sensei can't actually beat Hiratsuka-sensei."
"Did you not hear me? I said nearly. 'Nearly' means it didn't happen. In reality, Shizuka-chan doesn't stand a chance against me!"
"Tch, I don't buy it... By the way, Chishima-sensei, what's with you and Hiratsuka-sensei... 'Shizuka-chan'?"
"Isn't it normal to use first names between friends?"
"No, it's not. It's really not. That's Hiratsuka-sensei we're talking about..."
Teacher and student traded barbs as they walked toward the Service Club. As they neared the room, they spotted Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuigahama Yui standing by the door, peeking through a crack to survey the situation inside.
Hachiman asked, "What are you guys doing?"
"Kyaa!"
Both girls jumped, letting out adorable little shrieks. Yukinoshita Yukino glared at Hachiman with annoyance. "Could you please not just sneak up on people like that?"
Hachiman shoved his hands into his pockets. "My bad. So, what are you doing?"
Yui and Yukino exchanged a look before Yui spoke up. "There's a suspicious person inside the clubroom."
"Huh? You guys are the ones looking suspicious right now."
"Enough, let's move past that," Yukino said to Hachiman, her irritation clear. "The point is, could you go in and check the situation for us?"
Yes, Akishin was being ignored again. He'd noticed a strange phenomenon lately: as long as he completely suppressed his aura and remained silent, people tended to unconsciously overlook him.
Unless, of course, they were close to him or specifically looking for him.
"Oh, and Chishima-sensei, could you help too?"
Yukino looked back at Akishin. She had actually noticed him from the start.
It was understandable why two young girls would be wary in a situation like this. Akishin nodded, grabbing a reluctant Hachiman and pulling him toward the door, then swinging it wide open.
First, they were greeted by a gust of sea breeze.
Because Sobu High was near the coast, the wind patterns were unique, causing papers inside the room to flutter and dance.
Amidst the swirling white sheets of paper stood a man.
"Hehehe... hahaha! To think we would meet in a place like this. You've kept me waiting, Hikigaya Hachiman."
The man turned around, striking a pose reminiscent of Ultraman Tiga's signature move, wearing an incredibly dramatic expression as he faced Hachiman.
Yukino stared at Hikigaya. "An acquaintance of yours?"
Hachiman looked away. "Never seen him. Even if I did know a guy like that, I'd pretend I didn't."
The newcomer was a bit on the chubby side, with white, spiky hair. Despite the season being nearly over, he wore a brown trench coat that looked like it would cause heatstroke, paired with half-finger gloves.
The man struck another pose as if grasping something invisible, then spoke to a clearly depressed Hachiman. "To think you would forget the face of your own comrade. How truly disappointing, Hachiman!"
Yui turned to Hachiman. "He said he's your comrade!"
"Indeed, a comrade. Recall it—those hellish times, the days we endured together."
"...I think I was teamed up with him once in PE class, but that was before Chishima-sensei arrived."
Hachiman stared at the ceiling, as if a masterpiece or some ancient classic were painted there.
The man clawed at the air as if grasping the very heavens and earth, his expression turning bitter. "Hmph! That foul habit of yours... teaming up with someone you like? Hahaha! I know not when I was reincarnated, but there is no way I would ever forge a friendship with a mere human."
Finally, Hachiman sighed, turning to face the man in defeat. "What do you want, Zaimokuza?"
Yui glared at Hachiman. "He really is the loner's acquaintance!"
Yukino asked, "Who is he?"
The man made a motion as if sheathing a sword, then introduced himself in a booming voice like a general from a historical drama. "I am the Shogun of Swordsmen, Zaimokuza Yoshiteru!"
Yukino said coldly to Hachiman, "Your friend is here to see you, right?"
Hikigaya countered immediately, "Not a friend."
Akishin watched Zaimokuza Yoshiteru with a face full of confusion. What was this guy's deal? Mental illness? No, he was a student; he was wearing a Sobu High uniform under that coat.
Akishin had never gone through a chuunibyou phase. From the moment he gained self-awareness, he had been faced with reality. Every day, his thoughts—aside from studying for a better future—revolved around: What's for lunch? What's for dinner? What am I eating tomorrow?
Back then, his greatest ambition had been to go to KFC just once.
But even if he hadn't experienced it, he'd heard of it. Akishin quickly realized this was chuunibyou; he'd heard his friends talking about it before.
Japan seemed to be a country with a severe case of chuunibyou syndrome, reflected in many areas, especially sports. A ping-pong match was called a "Summit Duel," athletes were dubbed the "Empire's Destructive Dragon" or "Empire's Ferocious Tiger," and a silent coach was the "Legendary Emperor"...
Hearing the name Zaimokuza Yoshiteru, Akishin remembered who he was. Among the faculty, he was something of a minor celebrity at Sobu High.
He'd heard the Class C teacher mention him. Famous for his chuunibyou.
Sure enough, as the conversation continued, Hachiman introduced Zaimokuza and explained the concept of chuunibyou. Under Yukino's "guidance," Hachiman was almost dragged into the chuunibyou atmosphere himself.
And it turned out this Zaimokuza-kun was actually a client recommended by Shizuka to seek help from the Service Club.
Nothing to worry about then. Akishin leaned against the wall, watching them chat.
Hikigaya: 'I won't have those stupid delusions anymore. I've already graduated from things like cosplay and keeping "Journals of the God World." I don't even write government reports anymore. The only thing I still keep is my [List of People Who Can Absolutely Never Be Forgiven].'
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